Coup in Corealta

Three months have passed since the black dragons under Gyigorisin Fak took Marovir. Since the last defenders fled west to Corealta or east back to the mountains, the dragons have been taking their time reappropriating the city to their uses. For a time, the folk were worried that they would move on Corealta next.

But there have been negotiations between Lord Sabelin d’Halion and Gyigorisin Fak. The Treaty of the Marais gave the black dragons all of the Marais Bayou including Marovir and the right to toll trade routes. In return, Corealta’s laws now forbid any citizen or sellsword from engaging Fak forces at any time. To break this law is to be condemned as an enemy of the realm. Another part of the treaty is that Victor Davion and Agalon Nitraxius are to be turned over to Gyigorisin Fak on sight. They are wanted criminals in Corealta. Jefferson Davion has been arrested and released, but he and the Orphium are being watched, as are the roads out of town and the sky above. Victor and Agalon are staying with Dukanji Stardagger in his loft house. The rest have resumed a semi-normal life in Corealta, though Don “Arson” DeLaFuego still refuses his father, and since the death of Blasuke, Wu Ping has been considering going back to Kodamaii.

The lords of Marovir: Lady Alice DeViridian, Lord Jorge DeLaFuego, Lord Martin Gramean, and Lady Pidgi Tophill set up the defenses of the city. Bolstered by reinforcements from Corealta, the dwarves of Gimrak, and the goblins of the “Thunderfart Army”, the militia of Marovir set up strong defensive positions throughout the city.

On Stormtree Street, Trousta “Crawdaddy” Glorzak, Falgrenn Earthshaper, Carelon, and Alex “Tink-Tink” stood with the dwarves from Gimrak as the vanguard. Agalon Nitraxius functioned as mobile artillery with his breath weapon. Brogg and the “Thunderfart Army” fought on Bluerose Street, but were overwhelmed and decimated by the dragons. Brogg was eaten whole by a black dragon, but with his last strength, summoned a great explosion of lightning and exploded his killer, taking him with him to the afterlife.

Finally, the vanguard was overwhelmed and the battered defenders of Marovir fell back to Legacy Street, near the center of town. Three great wyrms landed in the city and began taking out swaths of warriors with every second. Victor Davion, Wu Ping, Dukanji Stardagger, Blasuke, Don “Arson” DeLaFuego, and Illystria Vallemere defended the city bravely from the rooftops with arrow and spell, but in the end, it was clear that there was no end to the dragons’ might or resilience. The city began to evacuate, and so too did the defenders. Tink-Tink died in the escape, as did Blasuke. Only Trousta, Agalon, Dukanji, and Wu Ping escaped without serious injury. Arson and Illystria both suffered great torso wounds and would not be able to adventure again. Falgrenn broke his right leg and now limps, a dragon’s claw took off Victor’s left ear, and Carelon lost his right hand in a bold charge against a wall of lizardfolk.

Less than half of the population of Marovir escaped the city, and even fewer made it to Corealta alive. Gyigorisin Fak won Marovir.

The gold dwarves of Gimrak received the visitors at the Soaring Crane Inn. Harald the peglegged bartender and his uurna (large riding gecko) Elsie traded hot food and cold ale for bulette jerky. Victor and Carelon soon gained an audience with Councilor Azderak and the rest of King Ublun Azoril‘s council, including Falgrenn Earthshaper. Councilor Azderak told them that Gimrak could spare no forces to help Marovir and would not accept the aid of Karazgirn. When confronted on this, Azderak revealed the full terms of Karazgirn’s aid. They wished Gimrak to become a vassal kingdom to their own in exchange for their might. Falgrenn Earthshaper, a priest of Tonsa, interjected that there was one thing that may help, but was rebuffed for trying to win wars with mere legends. Victor and Carelon were more interested in Falgrenn’s story, and the council eventually agreed that a jaunt into the duergar-occupied undercity would be good for morale if the travelers were willing to go.

During this meeting, Wu Ping and Blasuke stole two uurna mounts and scaled the tower to listen to the meeting. They were caught, but allowed to keep the uurna in exchange for services rendered.

Falgrenn, Victor, Carelon, and the ninjas made their way to the holding pit, where Trousta “Crawdaddy” Glorzak was being held in order to prevent him from charging off into the undercity on a suicide mission. He was sober because he had already consumed the state building’s entire stock of booze. Falgrenn and Victor convinced Trousta to follow them down into the undercity in search of an ancient earth elemental, Gwaruunvoad, who might be able to reshape the tunnels or collapse a city or two, turning the tide of the war.

Along the way, Trousta led a raid on an outpost of duergar scouts, killing all they found there including a priest of Stygios and seizing an enchanted smith’s hammer. At the same time they accidentally summoned an efreet bound to the smith’s forge, and it granted Trousta one wish. He used it to make the efreet his “cousin”, sending it and its tiny fire elemental minion off to kill duergar in the undercity. It took that to mean all of them.

The party continued on its way, finding the caverns of Gwaruunvoad. Within they found many tonglins, Dao smoking silver dust and topaz in their strange gem hookahs, and even a few xorn trading for particularly tasty pieces of jewel work. They made their way to a great pit, where it felt as if the stone was breathing. They attempted to persuade Gwaruunvoad to help them, first with a simple request for aid, then with taunts from Trousta about its lack of importance. When this did not work, Falgrenn tried to ply it with friendship. It said it had had one friend, and did not care for notoriety, but as long as she was not forgotten it would be content. That friend was the first Daughter of Ravens, who with its help broke the first great Sarkrith Empire, freeing Enagia for other saurials and giants. She still lies in a tomb above Dworak, where a single shaft lets in moonlight still. However, she was forgotten by all save her keepers, and even they do not remember entirely who she is. When the party revealed they did not know, it agreed to help them in exchange for spreading her memory. They accepted a scroll of her exploits from a Dao and the elementals set to work. The earthkin sealed tunnels, collapsed cavern ceilings, diverted underground rivers, and broke rents in the ground to create nigh impassable chasms. With the duergar and drow crippled, even if they are not destroyed, the Gimrak gold dwarves are now free to aid in the liberation of Marovir.

Suddenly they were attacked by a party of ten kobolds riding upon wyverns, who were themselves on a quest to kill a group of peaceful Nereniaus-worshipping ogres in order to steal ownership of their magical everbearing apple tree. One of the Nakti priests was killed, none of the travelers from Marovir were seriously hurt. They forced the kobolds and their remaining wyverns to retreat. Except of course for the two wyverns which were left mating in a field and the one shot in the head by Hank the Hill Dwarf, an itinerant firearm and firearm accessories merchant. The Nakti priests would suffer no outsiders to witness the funeral of their brother, so the adventurers had to part ways with them, as did the ninjas. For the time being at least, Blasuke and Wu Ping tagged along with the group from Marovir.

They entered Glazkerel after another two days of travel, and Ulrich received an icy reception. Kyndreai the Greenmother denounced him and took the Thorn of Glazkerel from him and refused to acknowledge him as one of their own, calling him Elduin Vin’vajna. He had been dishonored when he was captured years ago. To reclaim his honor and take his place among the wild elves again, Ulrich must go alone to Sinverdil and take Lieutenant Navoriel Ka’tule alive. If he brings him back to Glazkerel and then defeats him in combat and kills him, then he is absolved of disgrace and the wild elves will aid Marovir. Ulrich left north for the Sinverdil.

The rest of the group set out for Karazgirn. Along the way they met the stone giant sorcerer Tharaaz. He floated above a wall of boulders stuck together with blood. He revealed the presence of his army of goblins, and asked for tribute in exchange for “opening the wall.” Upon receiving his payment of two hundred and fifty gold pieces, he did in fact “open the wall” by turning the ground and lower levels of boulders to mud, which collapsed the wall on the adventurers. With quick reflexes (and in the case of Agalon prodigious strength), they survived, Wu Ping killed Tharaaz, and Dukanji took control of his goblin army.

Then they met Brogg, a somewhat insane and drug-abusing scrag Thorael worshipper who followed them to Karazgirn and waited outside for them to return. They truly wished he would leave them be, but he was sold on the idea of accompanying them. Then they met with Councilor Durvalac Oldhammer, who was speaking on behalf of King Markodim “Marko” Farel. Agalon, Carelon, and Victor tried to persuade the mountain dwarves to send aid to Marovir. The councilor told them of the dwarves’ own problems with the drow and duergar in Blackhold A’siet. Oldhammer agreed to help them in exchange for securing Gimrak’s acceptance of mountain dwarf aid in taking back Clanhold Dworak, and taking Brogg away forever. They briefly returned to Dukanji’s goblin camp to drop Brogg off, then they made their way to Gimrak to speak with the leaders there.

After Lord Sabelin d’Halion‘s ascension to Lord of Corealta, Serjie “Cencerro” d’Halion, Victor Davion, and Dukanji Stardagger went to Marovir and slipped through the lizardfolk’s lines. They entered the city and made their way to the makeshift mead hall for the unlikely defenders of the city. Interestingly enough, they found Jefferson Davion bartending at this place, serving drinks to the survivors of the last wave, including Agalon Nitraxius, Alex “Tink-Tink”, Carelon, Don “Arson” DeLaFuego, Illystria Vallemere, and Ulrich Vajna. They met and took up another shift on the wall. It was then that Heir Fak came to hear Lady Alice DeViridian‘s answer to her terms of surrender once again. In response, Serjie tried seducing her. She shot her acid breath up at the battlements. Agalon intercepted it with his lightning breath, and a battle of draconic power began. But as strong as Agalon was, Heir Fak was much stronger. She reflected the lightning along with her acid into the battlements, which exploded, severely injuring Agalon and Victor, and killing Serjie. Alex healed Victor and Carelon healed Agalon, and together they formulated a plan. Agalon flew down to the makeshift mead hall and got a keg of grimshgurgle from Jefferson. He and Ulrich tossed it over the wall at Heir Fak, and Victor hit it with a scorching ray, detonating it. The keg blew a huge crater in the ground and killed twelve adult black dragons in addition to Heir Fak herself. There were cheers all around the city, but it was a common sentiment that once Gyigorisin Fak heard of his daughter’s death that Marovir would be in more danger than it had even before. Jefferson decided to go back home to Corealta. Arson and Illystria stayed in Marovir with Lord Jorge DeLaFuego to raise the city’s defenses, and Ulrich, Victor, Agalon, Dukanji, Carelon, and Alex left the city towards the Gweriel Mountains and the wild elf settlement of Glazkerel in hopes of finding aid from them.

In Corealta City, the sellswords who were rallying the men loyal to the Correres began missing two of their own. One of the captains of the militia had recognized Persephone from her warrant from Gwenlich, and in an attempt to garner favor with Gwenlich (and perhaps get assistance in repelling the invaders) arrested her. Persephone escaped arrest with the help of Ehlonna, and both of them fled the city. Meanwhile, Dukanji Stardagger snuck Serjie “Cencerro” d’Halion and Victor Davion into the Istabarakk-occupied half of the city. They met with Lord Sabelin d’Halion, who hatched a plan with his son. Lord Sabelin contacted Sir Ghalib Layth and bought him and his freeriders with a promise of the position of Lord Commander of Corealta’s military if he would only refrain from interfering. Lord Sabelin invited Lord Josef Bantoh to his manse, and there receive his returned son Serjie’s vow of fealty. When Lord Bantoh’s retinue arrived, Serjie slew the invading lord. Sir Ghalib stood by and did nothing. In the following days, Lord Sabelin claimed Lordship of all of Corealta, and with Sir Ghalib at his back, none dared oppose him. He paid Serjie handsomely for his services, and then promptly exiled him from the city in return for him running away from his family for so long. Serjie, Dukanji, and Victor left Corealta for Marovir, to discover what had become of their friends.

Ulrich Vajna, Don “Arson” DeLaFuego, and Illystria Vallemere reached the town of Marovir and entered without incident. Using his connections, Arson got into the lords’ council meeting. There, the three sellswords met with Lord Jorge DeLaFuego, Lady Alice DeViridian, Baron Gordo Euchist, Lord Martin Gramean, Lady Pidgi Tophill, and the other lords of Marovir. They discussed the occupation of Corealta by Lord Josef Bantoh and the arrival of an emissary from the blue dragons of Savrethix Stretch. The emissary was Agalon Nitraxius, who had come to question the black dragon Gyigorisin Fak about the hags’ voodoo. He told them that a witch known as Edmee had been spotted in Thewdamonga and Waterwatch, threatening the people and searching for a wand known as the “Wretch’s Bolt”. However, Gyigorisin Fak’s daughter Heir Fak bid him leave. So he came to Marovir to find answers. Gyigorisin Fak had recently named himself “Lord of the Marais Bayou” and decided to make a bid for the cities. With this impending threat known, the lords had been arguing about the merits of increasing defense versus the blocking of trade that would occur if more barricades were put up. After their short meeting in which Lady DeViridian and Ulrich argued at length, the forces of Heir Fak attacked the walls of Marovir and the siege began. The defenders drove off the first wave of blackscale lizardfolk and black dragons, but Marovir was cut off from help, and they are still trapped inside. That night, Arson looked into his hag’s eye and saw a vision of Grammard Telerian, alive and fighting.